Coupler for electric conductors



(No Model.)

G. I. HOPKINS. COUPLER FOR ELECTRIC GONDUGTORS.

No. 402,829. Patented May '7, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC GEORGE IRVING HOPKINS, OF MANCHESTER, NEIV HAMPSHIRE.

COUPLER FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,829, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed January 11, 1887. Renewed October 31, 1887. Again renewed October 19, 1888. Serial No. 288,613- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern- Be it known that I, GEORGE IRVING HOP- KINS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplers for Electrical Conductors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an eflicient coupler for use in railway-car-telegraph systems in which the train is traversed by both outgoing and return conductors. In practice I propose to unite the two conductors in a single cord corresponding to the ordinary bell-cord now in use on railwaytrains. Measures will of course be taken to keep the conductors insulated from each other in the cord. Just before entering the coupler the conductors will pass out of the cord separately, just as in the ordinary telephone-switch cord.

The couplers will be located between the cars of a railway-train where the usual mechanical connections are made between the different parts of the bell-cord. In this case the connections will be both mechanical and electrical. The electrical connections are such that the circuit is kept open between the two wires when the coupler-halves are together, or closed in each half when they are pulled apart. The mechanical connection is strong enough to resist any ordinary pull upon the bell-cord; but should the cars break apart the coupling-halves will be separated and the circuit closed. It being understood that the circuit, as in all train-telegraphs, includes a suitable generator of electricity and a bell on the locomotive, it is evident that the closing of the circuit, whether by reason of the pulling apart of the coupler-halves, as above described, or through means operated by hand-say through the operation of the bell-cord in the ordinary waywill cause the hell on the locomotive to sound and be a signal to the engineer.

The details of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of my coupler-halves before coupling, one of them being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a View of the same parts applied to each other; and Fig. 3 is a view of a train-telegraph system to which my invention may be applied, showing, in addition to the coupler, a diagram of the circuits and circuit-closers adapted to be operated by hand.

Referring more specially to Figs. 1 and 2, A is one of my coupler-halves, and A the other. Each half is formed in two pieces, a anda', the former of which constitutes a body or casing for the electrical devices contained within it, and the latter forms a cap for keeping out dust. The two halves are similar in construction and form counterparts of each other. Each part a is provided at the end Where the halves come together with opposite notches, Z) Z), into which corresponding projections, b b, on the other part fit. The conducting-wires 0 0 enter each couplinghalf through a hole, 0, in the cap a and pass directly to binding-screws cl (1 within the casing a. The screws d (1 will ordinarily be inserted from the outside, and will pass through enlargements e e on the ends of the conductors and be secured by nuts. The method of making the connection is, however, a matter of indifference. The screw cl is electrically connected by a wire, f, with a metallic rectangular piece, G, which is secured centrally within the casing by screws 9 g.

To the inner side of each casing are secured springs II and II, which project outside the casin g and are bent, as shown in the drawings. The springs are secured by screws h h, which pass through solid portions h h, formed on the springs. Now, the screw (Z is connected by a wire with both springs II and II. The former spring is twisted at its inner end and passes over into contact with the rectangular piece G, thus closing connection between the said spring and the screw d. On the spring H, where it passes over into contact with the rectangular piece, is secured an insulatingblock, I, the function of which will be explained hereinafter.

Tracing 110w the circuit within the couplerhalf A, it passes from the screw cl to the wire f, the rectangular piece G, and the spring H, whence it returns to the screw cZ-that is to say, there is a short circuit between the conductors in each coupler-half so long as the two halves remain uncoupled. When, however, the parts are applied to each other, the springs II and ll of each half extend in far enough to press upon the insulating-block I in the other half and push the springs H out of contact with the respective rectangular pieces G G. This is shown clearly in Fig. 2. The circuit 110w passes from screw (1 by way of wire f to the first rectangular piece, G, and thence by the springs H and H and wire connections to the screw (Z of the opposite half; thence it travels through the circuit of the cars and back to the screw d of the other coupler, and by an exactly similar course to the screw (1 in the half where the circuit first entered.

It is my design to have the last coupler on the rear car of a railway-train so arranged that the circuit will be kept open at that point. In general, however, it will be best to attach at the place mentioned a whole coupler, the second half being really a dummy and servin g only to keep the circuit open, as suggested. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 3.

It is evident that the short circuit normally existing in each coupler-half is broken as soon as the two halves are put together. I close the circuit between the two conductors by any suitable means, such, for example, as those illustrated schematically in Fig. .5. As has been stated already, the conductors will be brought together in a cord, and at i11- tervals along the course, preferably at the ends of the car, the circuit-closers will be located. The arrangement will be such that each conductor will be connected at those points with springs or other contacts in such a manner that when the cord is pulled from within a car the springs connected with both conductors will be brought into contact with the same comlucting-plate, and thus a cross-circuit will, be formed and a hell on the locomotive included in the circuit will be sounded. In Fig. 2-3 I have designated the springs or contacts by the letters 71? 7c and the conducting-plates by the letters 0 O.

The separation of the coupler-halves by the breaking apart of the train or from any other cause has the same effect as the operation of the circuit-closer.

The springs H and II are so bent at their outer ends and the bends are so located with relation to the rectangular piece of the corresponding coupler half that when applied they will fit closely against the ends of the said rectangular piece and offer resistance to the separation of the parts. This resistance is sufiicient to withstand ordinary pulls upon the cord, although the separation of the train would of course break apart the coupler and sound an alarm, as before indicated.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1.. In a coupler for electrical conductors, the co1nbination,with the halves A A, of the springs II II, rectangular pieces G,with which the springs H are normally connected, and the conductors 0 0', the former being joined to the rectangular pieces G and the latter to both the springs l and II, together with means operated by the joining of the halves for breaking the connection between springs H and rectangular pieces G, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the couplinghalves A A, springs II II, and rectangular pieces G, of insulating-blocks I, adapted to be moved by the springs II Ill when the halves are coupled, the said blocks being secured to extensions of the springs II, as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE IRVING HOPKINS. lVitnesscs:

E. R. Goonwnv, P. l). HARRISON. 

